Sarah Bush Lincoln Vascular Surgeon Ravishankar Hasanadka, MD, performed the hospital’s first implantation of the VasQ extravascular arteriovenous fistula (AVF) support device on March 23. This marks the first time a VasQ implantation has been conducted at a hospital in Illinois outside of Chicago.
The introduction of this procedure expands treatment options for dialysis patients with kidney disease at Sarah Bush Lincoln. Hemodialysis requires reliable access to a patient’s bloodstream, often achieved by creating an AVF—a surgical connection between an artery and vein in the arm.
“A fistula is a direct connection of a vein to the artery, typically in the arm,” Hasanadka said. “If someone is undergoing acute, urgent hemodialysis, but their kidneys are not recovering, then a fistula would be necessary.”
Surgically created AVFs are considered the preferred method for long-term dialysis access because they allow blood to be transferred to and from dialysis machines efficiently. However, these connections can take weeks or months to mature and may fail due to stress from increased arterial flow.
The VasQ device aims to address these challenges by reinforcing the surgical connection against excess tension and stabilizing blood flow. According to Hasanadka, “I’m excited to offer this device to this community. VasQ has so many benefits for dialysis patients and I’m proud to be part of a team harnessing innovation to improve access options. Instead of driving hours away for this option, people can stay close-to-home and still get the most advanced care available.”
With local availability of advanced vascular procedures like VasQ implantation, Sarah Bush Lincoln says it is able to provide more comprehensive care for people with kidney disease who require hemodialysis.
